Paper-binder.



PAPER BINDER. (Application led Mar. 17, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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PAPERnBINDERf SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,037, dated August 12, 1902. Application led March 1'7J 1902. Serial No. 98,511. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.- l

Be it known that I, FERDINAND N.VOLKEYRT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Paper-Binders; andldeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates generally Vto devices for binding together in book form sheets of paper, such as letters or the separable leaves of a book, and more particularly to means for locking the binder in the adjusted position necessary to securely hold the desired number of sheets of paper.

It is essential that a binder for uniting the leaves of a book should be readily adjustable to accommodate any number of leaves within predetermined limits andcapable of `being securely locked in any adjusted position, so as to retain the leaves in the desired order.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a binder possessing the above-mentioned characteristics which will be simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture,V and efficient in use.

y My invention, briefly described, Vconsists in a pair ofclamping-bars between which the sheets of paper are inserted, telescopic postsections attached at their outer ends to the clamping bars, and means for frictionally locking together the telescopic sections of the post in any desired position.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter With reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in Which- Figure l is an elevational view of my improved binder, portions of the covers being broken-away; Fig. 2, a vertical section of my invention Without the back and covers shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a cross sectional View on line 3 `3, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 a perspective view of a key for operating the locking 5o device.

r .Similar reference characters are used to indicate similar parts in the several views of the drawings. A

Letters A and Afi designate the covers, which are adjustably united and which are designed to inclose a number of sheets of paper-such, for instance, as leaves or separable pages of a book.

a and a2 indicate the sections secured to the side covers A and A2 and which overlap to form a back. tions a and a2 of the back overlap varies with the number of leaves or pages inserted between.the side covers.

A-pair of clamping-bars B and E2 are secured between the covers A and A2 and the sections a and a2, respectively, of the book. These clamping-bars are preferably surrounded by the leather or other material, which is secured to the outer surfaces of the side covers and extends around the sections of the back.

The sheets of, papery which are to be bound Vtogether are inserted between the clampingbars B and B2 and there retained by relatively adjusting the clamping-bars so as to bind the sheets of paper securely together. The clamping-bars are connected together by a plurality of posts composed of telescopic sections the outer ends of which are attached tothe Vbars and the inner ends of which are in sliding engagement.

Reference characters b b'indicate the sections of two telescopic posts secured to the clamping-bar B', While reference characters b2 b2 indicate the other sections of the telescopic posts, which are secured at their outer ends to the clamping-bar B2. The .sections b b2 of each post are preferably tubular in form, the former being of an exterior diameter slightly less than the interior diameterof the latter, thereby permitting a sliding engagement between the two members of the post. The members of the post maybe attached within openings inthe clamping-bars B and B2 by expanding the outer ends of the post members into contactwith the walls of the openings in the clamping-bars. Coilsprings c c are preferably located within the tubular sections of the posts andare retained The extent which the sectherein by closing the outer ends of the postl sections by means of plugs c and c, with which the outer ends of the springs engage.

In order that the coil-springs may be retained under compression and the space between the clamping-bars regulated to securely clamp the sheets of paper between the same, it is necessary to provide a locking device. The means which l haveinvented for locking the clamping-bars in the desired relative p0- s'itions operate to force into frictional engagement the members of a telescopic post.

d' indicates a tubular member of a telescopic post, whichis secured within an opening formed in the clamping member B'. The other tubular member d2 of the telescopic post is secu red within an opening in the other clamping-bar B2. rlhe exterior diameter of the member d2 is such as to permit the same to slide within the tubular member d. The inner end of the member d2 is split, so as to permit the same to be expanded outwardly into frictional engagement with the interior surface of the larger member d of the'telescopic post.

The means which I have provided for eX- panding the split end of the inner member of the telescopic post consists in a wedge E, preferably of conical form, which may be moved longitudinally with respect to the member d2 of the post to force the split end of the latter into engagement with the other member of the post d in order to lock the clamping-bars in a fixed position and to permit the ysplit end of the interior memberof the telescopic post to contract out of frictional contact with the other member of the post, thereby permitting the clamping-bars to be relatively moved to a new position.

rlhe means which I have shown for longitudinally moving the conical wedge E consist in a screw-threaded rod e', formed integrally with the conical wedge and engaging an interior screw-threaded socket e2, fixed within the outer end of the inner member cl2 of the post. The conical wedge is provided with an angular head e, which may be engaged by a complemental head f, formed in the end of a key F. The inner end of the tubular member d is restricted in diameter by means of a iiange or ring d, the opening through which is of a diameter less than that of the conical wedge, thereby preventing the two members of the post from being' disconnected.

The operation of my invention, which will be clearly understood from the foregoing description, is as follows: The key F is inserted in the tubular member d and the recessf in the end thereof engaged with the head e on the wedge E. The key is then turned to the left, thereby rotating the screw-threaded rod e within the socket e2, which causes the wedge to move away from the split end of the interior member d2 of the post, thereby disengaging the two members of the post and permitting the springs c c to expand. The

sheets of paper or pages of the book are then inserted between the clamping-barsB and 13 2 and the bars then pressed closely together, so as to bind the sheets securely together. The key Fis then engaged with the wedge, so as to rotate the latter, and thereby force the split end of the member (Z2 outwardly into frictional contact with the outer member d' of the telescopic post, which locks the clamping members in their adjusted position and firmly holds the interposed sheets of paper or pages in the desired order.

In order that the sheets of paper may be inserted between the clamping-bars, they are preferably provided with openings corresponding in position to the location `of the several adjustable posts which connect the clamping members. Slits lead from the openings in the sheets of paper to the adjacent edges thereof, thereby permitting the openings to be placed around the adjustable posts.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have devised a locking device for a paper-binder, consisting in means for frictionally engaging the two'sections of an adjustable post the outer ends of which are attached to the clamping-bars between which the sheets of paper are held.

While I have described more or less precisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, and the substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a binder for sheets of paper, the combination with clamping-bars, of a hollow post composed of telescopic sections attached at their outer ends to said bars and in sliding engagement at their inner ends, the inner section of said post being split at its end, a rod located Within said inner section and in screw-threaded engagement therewith, a conical wedge integrally secured to the end of said rod and located within the split end of the inner section, and means for rotating said rod whereby said wedge expands the split end of the inner section into frictional contact with the interior surface of the outer section of said post.

2. In a binder for sheets of paper, the combination with clamping-bars, of a hollow post TOO IIO

composed of telescopic sections attached at tudinally movable therein, a conical wedge l integral with the end of said rod and located within the split end of the inner section, and means for moving said rod longitudinally within the inner section whereby said wedge expands the split end of the inner section into frictional contact with the interior surface of the outer section of said post.

3. In a hinder for sheets of paper, the cornbination with clamping-bars, of a hollow post composed of telescopic sections attached at their outer ends to said bars and i,n sliding engagement at their inner ends, the inner section of said post being split at its end,` a rod extending through said inner section and in screw-threaded engagement with the portion thereof adjacent to the clamping-bar to which it is connected, a conical Wedge on the end of said rod adapted to expand said split end of the inner section into frictional contact with 15 the interior surface of the outer section of said post, and means for rotating said rod.

In testimony whereof I sign this specifieation in the presence of two Witnesses.

F. N. VOLKERT.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WILKINSON, CLARA C. CUNNINGHAM. 

